The role of the dairy sector in Kenya with respect to the creation of employment, food & nutrition security cannot be overlooked. Smallholder farmers rely on it as their source of livelihood. The sector is however faced with a number of challenges. For instance, low milk processing capacity which can potentially increase the shelf life and retail price of milk, thus having a significant effect on the milk income realized by smallholder farmers. It is based on this scenario that providing a reliable ready market for dairy farmers in Makueni County was deemed important, thus necessitating the establishment of the Kikima dairy plant in the year 1971. The dairy plant has been operational for the last 51 years. However, its effect on the profitability of the dairy enterprise of the target population is not well known. This study, therefore, assessed the effect of participation in milk processing on milk income realized by smallholder farmers. The study utilized crosssection data obtained from a sample of 200 smallholder dairy farmers from Makueni County. Both descriptive and empirical analyses were utilized. Gross margin analysis, probit model, and endogenous switching regression models were applied. Descriptive statistics showed existence of significant differences in individual socio-economic characteristics between milk processing participants and non-participants. Factors identified to significantly influence participation in milk processing include; age, experience, sex, education and farming as the primary occupation. The effect estimates showed a negative and significant effect of participating in milk processing on milk income. Based on the low profitability of the dairy enterprise among the participants despite having higher milk productivity per cow as compared to non-participants, this study recommends that the plant management should consider offering a quality-based payment to the project participants in order to boost their income levels and attract participation by other farmers. Additionally, the study recommends the introduction of a structured trading system in order to influence participation into the project.

Recently, there has been emergence in the use of modern Information Communication Technologies (ICT) in the different operations of agrienterprises. This ranges from the provision of agricultural information to marketing of agricultural products through the use of ICT tools such as mobile phones, television and radio. Despite the potential of ICT tools to enhance efficiency in agrienterprises operations, little is known about the effect of ICT use on performance and farm income of small scale farmers in rural areas. The aim of this study, therefore, was to examine the effect of ICT use on performance of pineapple agrienterprises. Specifically, it sought to: characterize structure of ICT usage among the smallholder agrientrepreneurs; determine factors influencing use of ICT among smallholder agrientrepreneurs and determine effect of ICT use on income of smallholder agrientrepreneurs. The study was based on data collected from a sample of 183 households drawn from Gatundu North Sub-County in Kiambu County. Multistage sampling procedure was used to select the respondents and semi structured questionnaires employed to collect qualitative and quantitative data through face to face interviews. The determinants of ICT use was estimated by multivariate probit model while the effect of ICT use was estimated using endogenous switching regression model. The results show the most commonly used ICT tool to access agricultural information was mobile phones (86%), radio (79%) and then television (59%). Findings revealed that age, education, household size, farm size, group membership, extension contact, credit access, installation of electricity and attributes of ICT tool significantly influenced the usage of ICT tools. Results suggest that optimal users of ICT tools realized more income per acre than they would have had they not used the ICT tools. While, sub-optimal users realized lower household income per acre than they would have had they not decided to use ICT tools in their agrienterprises. Usage of ICT tools is associated with a 98% and 28% gain in average household income for optimal and sub-optimal users, respectively. Hence use of ICT tools leads to increase in income of smallholder agrienterprises. Consequently policies targeting usage of ICT tools in agrienterprises must consider the age and education level of farmers when developing ICT tools for dissemination of agricultural information and should concentrate on improving the extension services, farmer groups and electricity access to rural areas.

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are useful in human health as probiotics. To achieve this they need to reach the gastro-intestinal tract and remain viable. A total of fifteen strains of lactic acid bacteria isolated from fermented coconut wine (Mnazi) were screened in vitro for their safety and probiotic properties, acid tolerance, bile tolerance, survival under conditions of simulated gastrointestinal tract (GIT) passage and their antimicrobial activity against indicator organisms using standard techniques. Further they were assessed for production and properties of bacteriocins produced and characterized using sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. The results revealed that the fifteen isolates were safe to use, able to tolerate and grow well in conditions of reduced pH (2 and 2.5) and extremes of bile (up to 2%) that simulate stomach duodenal passage environment. They are also potent against both Gram positive and negative bacteria which they inhibit through production of bacteriocins. Most had β-galactosidase activity which makes them suited for moderation of lactose intolerance. Further, they were able to utilize frustooligosaccharides making them beneficial in regulating the microbiota in the colon. The isolates are phylogenetically distant from other homologous Lactobacillus spp though they were similar to L. paracasei, L. casei, L. rhamnosus and L. zeae. These findings show that the LAB isolates from Mnazi had desirable probiotic properties and were safe to use. This provides an opportunity for further investigation of the isolates for utilisation as starter cultures in fermentation of different food products to increase their value to human or animal health.

Guidance and counseling has become an important part of school curriculum. It is hoped that guidance and counselling will promote discipline and positive growth among students. At the center of this programme is a guidance teacher who must be fully aware of counselling needs of students. Cases of boys hardly out of their eggshells drinking local brew (chang’aa) and smoking are on increase. Girls and boys openly canoodling and insulting their teachers are on the increase too. Rampant strikes and destruction of property in recent times and degenerating moral decay, calls for the need to investigate teacher counselor’.s awareness to student counseling needs. This study was aimed at determining the awareness teacher counselors have to student counseling needs with special relerence to Nyamira Division. The study also tried to establish the level of teacher counselor awareness, methods used as well as the resources used to create awareness. The study was carried nut in all secondary schools in Nyamira Division of Nyamira district. The study was a descriptive survey in which a population of 2l schools was included with student population of 4475 and a total of 287 teachers. Ten secondary schools were randomly selected to provide a sample size of 120 students drawn from form ll to form lV. lt also included 10 teacher counselors, and I0 head teachers, to make a total of I40 respondents. Students were stratified on the basis of their classes in which four students were randomly selected from each class. Questionnaires were administered personally by the researcher to collect data from respondents. Data was analyzed by use of desctriptive Statistics using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS computer package). The results revealed that guidance counselors are aware of counseling needs oi students in schools lt was also revealed that there is no specific guidelines for counselor appointment in schools. The study recommended that there is need for ministry guidelines on appointment of guidance counselors.

This research work was conducted in five schools in Thika District. l The research focused on Young Farmers Clubs in the District in order to find out whether there is any role they play, in improving the performance of member studnets. Most of the literature reviewed by the researcher is in line with various Young Farmers Clubs of the world and focuses particularly on the Young Farmers Clubs of Kenya. The lite- rature has been reviewed such that it becomes comprehensive, accurate and meaningful in its context. The instruments used in this research were questionnaires for agriculture students and observation schedules for agri- culture teachers. After their construction they were well validated to ensure their appropriateness in data collection. The information obtained was organised and discussed using descriptive statistics, in form of percentages. Tables were also USwd in data analysis. The conclusions and recommendations made reflect that most schools have Young Farmers Clubs and that these clubs positively influences stgdnets performance in Agriculture. It was therefore, recommended by the researcher that, all schools offering Agriculture should have Young Farmers Club, which should be active and that every Agriculture student should be a member as a matter of policy. It was also recommended that the Young Farmers Clubs should be incorporated in the 8-4-4 curriculum and that more research should be conducted using larger samples around these clubs.

The purpose of this project was to design and develop electronic file index for Ashinaga Uganda that will provide a convenient, easy-to-use, internet based application for staff and users to retrieve and access the students’ records. The objectives of the study were to: examine the manual system used in retrieval of students’ records at Ashinaga Uganda, establish the challenges of indexing of the student’s records at Ashinaga Uganda, determine the requirements necessary for in designing and developing an electronic file index at Ashinaga Uganda, design and develop an electronic file index for Ashinaga Uganda to ease the retrieval of students’ records. The study employed a case study research design while adopting a qualitative approach in data collection. The researchers purposively selected 12 respondents to participate in the study. Interview, observation, and document review methods were data collection methods used to collect data from the field. The study found out that Ashinaga Uganda uses a manual retrieval system of student’s records which is characterised by lack of immediate retrievals, lack of immediate information storage, lack of prompt updating, error prone manual calculation and preparation of accurate and prompt reports. The study concluded that the implementation of the an electronic file index, training of the staff, purchase more computers and a user friendly system interface would help to improve the storage and retrieval of the student’s records at Ashinaga Uganda. The study recommended that Ashinaga Uganda should implement this electronic file index, train and sensitise all the records staff. The merits and use of the electronic file index in Ashinaga Uganda will ensure the access control to the students’ records, easy search and retrieval of the student’s records and provide the backup for the student’s records.

An archive or archives is a collection of documents and records that contain historical information and have an enduring value to the organization. Automation is the use of electronics and computer-controlled devices to assume control of processes. Automating archives outlines the ways involved with using information technologies to manage archival materials in an organization. The study was guided by the following specific objectives, that is; to find out the types of archival materials, to examine the existing system for managing archives, to identify the challenges facing the existing system for the archives. The methods used to collect data were qualitative in nature and they included; interviews guides and observation guides. Data was presented in tabulations, graphs and in an essay form, The study was motivated by inadequate computer terminals and difficulty in archival retrieval which affected the running of different activities at the organization since the accumulation of archives was taking a lot of space and time. The system components were integrated to form a fully functional system and integrated testing was carried out to locate and delete errors from the automated system to ensure that all forms work simultaneously and that are compatible. This was done by passing data through the new automated management system which involved entering the users name and password in the system and the items were checked in and out to find out whether the new automated system was fully functioning as required. Basing on the findings that have been established in the course of the study, It has been concluded that in order to manage the archives properly staff should design an automated management system to manage the archives.

Harmonic distortions for low voltage distribution network is a research area that has not been extensively explored due to the assumption that the harmonics do not adversely affect low voltage equipment. However, field data collected shows contrarily that current harmonic generated by nonlinear residential customer loads do immensely affect distribution transformers by causing speedy deterioration of the transformers insulation. In the past few decades, there have been considerable changes on residential single phase loads in terms of power demand magnitude and appliance electrical characteristics. The main difference between the current residential single phase loads and earlier versions of a few decades ago is widespread use of electronic appliances with Switch Mode Power Supply (SMPS). These loads are rapidly increasing due to advancement of technology in semi-conductor devices and digital controllers. Such appliances generate current harmonic distortions, which stream back to the low voltage distribution network affecting installed low voltage network equipment. The adverse impact of the generated harmonic distortions are witnessed in premature failure of distribution transformers, erroneous recording of energy meters and over-loading of neutral conductors to mention just a few. This study focuses on analysis and mitigation of current harmonics distortions on distribution network. It involved measurement of current harmonics generated by domestic consumers individual appliance and combined appliances at Point of Common Coupling (PCC) and current harmonics streaming at the secondary side of distribution transformers. Transformers’ oil breakdown voltage was analyzed from sampled transformers to correlate between harmonics and degradation of the oil insulation level. The failed transformers for a period of one year in one of the region was obtained and analyzed. Based on the results of the analysis that show high harmonic pollution on low voltage distribution network, a mitigation measure was devised that involved design and simulation of a single phase active filter using MATLAB–Simulink software. From this work, it was found out that loads with similar electrical characteristics aggravate harmonics and loads with dissimilar electrical characteristics attenuate harmonics. Further, the high current harmonics cause speedy degradation of transformer liquid (oil) insulation and lastly the high current harmonics observed at domestic consumers PCC emanating from current domestic appliances can be mitigated by employing a single phase shunt active filter. The designed and simulated single phase active filter, in MATLAB/Simulink environment, the distorted current waveform was noted to be sinusoidal (undistorted) after introduction of single phase shunt AHF and the current harmonic distortion levels obtained were well within the admissible level recommended by IEEE 519-1992, a power quality standard for power utilities and industries.

Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences, Law, Business Mgt (FoA&SS / FoL / FBM): Recent submissions

The need for guidance and counselling services in all learning institutions cannot be overstated. In response to this demand, guidance and counselling programme has been implemented since 1971 and more emphasis on its services in 2001 through Legal Notice, No. 95 of the Kenya Gazette that recommended the implementation of guidance and counseling by establishing counseling departments in all secondary schools. A well implemented guidance and counselling programme should be very clear on keys aspects that include the conceptual framework, structural framework, service delivery and teacher counsellor performance among many other key aspects. However, despite its implementation students still experience problems in form of school indiscipline, school unrest, and increased examination cheating which is a clear indication that there is a lapse in the implementation of the guidance and counselling programme. Thus there was a need to evaluate the conceptual framework and structural framework, service delivery and teacher counsellors‟ performance in the implementation of guidance and counselling programme in Baringo county secondary schools. This study employed a descriptive survey design. The population of the study was 23 extra county secondary schools with a population of 3211 form three students, 23 teacher counsellors and 23 head teachers. Purposive sampling was used to select the number of schools, head teachers and teacher counsellors; stratified random and proportionate sampling was utilized to select the number of students to be included in the study. The sample size comprised of 23 schools, 330 form three students, 23 head teachers and 23 teacher counsellors. A total of 376 respondents constituted the study sample. The data was collected through questionnaires, document analysis and a check list. Piloting of the instrument was done to improve validity and the test items were validated by experts in the Department of Counselling, Psychology and Educational Foundations. Reliability of the Principal Questionnaire, Teacher Counsellor Questionnaire and Student Questionnaire was established by use of Cronbach‟s alpha method and reliability coefficients of 0.75, 0.86 and 0.79 respectively were obtained. Descriptive statistics and inferential statistics were utilized to analyse the data with the aid of SPSS version 20 for windows. The level of significance was tested at 0.05. An analysis of the findings indicated that the conceptual framework, service delivery was not fully implemented and teacher counsellor‟s performance was fair in the implementation of G&C programme. The findings also showed poor implementation of the structural framework in all the secondary schools. Further, the findings showed that there was statistically significant difference between the implementation of the conceptual framework, structural framework, service delivery and teacher counsellor‟s performance in the guidance and counselling programme. Further, lack of time, funding, inadequate facilities, uncooperative clients and qualified personnel were among the challenges facing the implementation of the guidance and counselling programme. It was concluded that guidance and counselling programme in Baringo county extra secondary school is not fully implemented. The study recommended that guidance and counselling conceptual framework, service delivery should be enhanced. The study also recommended the provision of adequate human and physical resources to strengthen the structural framework and employment of more professional counsellors in secondary schools on full time basis to enable them to perform their duties and responsibilities effectively.